Put a line through Doitforandrew's U.S. debut

Doitforandrew has his American debut 2.0 in an allowance race on turf at Santa Anita on Friday. Nothing went his way in his first start in this country in the Pasadena Stakes at a mile on Feb. 19.

Doitforandrew broke slowly and was pinched by rivals on each side of him a few strides away from the gate. On the backstretch, Doitforandrew was aggressively urged into contention with a wide rally by jockey Umberto Rispoli, a rally that fizzled through the stretch. Doitforandrew finished eighth of 11.

“He kind of had everything go wrong,” trainer Phil D’Amato recounted earlier this week. “He broke slow, he got sandwiched on both sides. Then, he made a premature move wide. Anything that could possibly go wrong went wrong there.”

Owned by Michael House, Doitforandrew won consecutive starts on the synthetic track at Dundalk Racecourse in Ireland last fall in his final races in that country. The Pasadena Stakes was Doitforandrew’s stakes debut.

D’Amato said he is hopeful Friday’s allowance race at six furlongs will lead to a start in a stakes for the gelding this spring.

“That would be a logical step,” D’Amato said. “He trains very keenly in the morning, like he could handle a one-turn race.”

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Rispoli retains the mount on Doitforandrew, who drew post 5 in a field of eight. D’Amato hopes Rispoli will give Doitforandrew a stalking trip, and a more patient ride.

“I’m going with the theory good jockeys don’t make the same mistake twice,” D’Amato said. “He’s been a mainstay in my barn and he does well with these types.”

Rispoli is relocating to New York in coming weeks as is leading rider Flavien Prat who rides the promising gelding Smuggler’s Run in Friday’s allowance race. Trained by Richard Baltas, Smuggler’s Run drew the rail for his fourth start of the year.

A winner of 2 of 3 starts, Smuggler’s Run won an allowance race for statebreds at six furlongs on turf on Feb. 11, closing from sixth in a field of eight. He drew the rail in this field, which Baltas said is not ideal.

“Hopefully, Flavien gets him out in the clear and he’ll come flying,” he said.

Smuggler’s Run had a wide trip on Feb. 11, closing from fourth in the final quarter-mile.

“He relaxed really nice and finished nicely,” Baltas said. “I think he’s a pretty good horse. He had plenty left.”

Doitforandrew and Smuggler’s Run face an intriguing field that includes Echosmith, who had troubled trips when fourth in the Baffle Stakes on Jan. 30 and sixth in the Pasadena; Diamond Digger, a New York-bred gelding who is unbeaten in four starts, including three minor stakes at Assiniboia Downs in Canada last year; and Bochombo, unraced since a second in the Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita last June.

The allowance race is the last of nine races on a program that begins at 1 p.m. Pacific, a slightly later start than weekday post times earlier this year.